NJ Colleges May Issue Graduates’ Job Data [AUDIO]

New Jersey students may soon be able to find out before they apply to a particular college or university if that school is producing graduates that get high paying jobs under new legislation sponsored by the chairperson of the Assembly Higher Education Committee.

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"Chances of success would be probably greater if they knew that, that college or university is producing a stronger student that is actually getting employed," said Assemblywoman Celeste Riley (D-Salem). "I feel it is the college's and university's responsibility to track information and convey that data to the consumer."

Under Riley's legislation, public and independent institutions of higher education would be required to collect and report employment data for recent graduates and to post the information on their websites.

"It's just for recent graduates and I would say that would be within the last five years, and those specifics haven't been determined, but I would say that's what we're looking at," Riley said.

New Jersey colleges and universities are already required to provide information on the cost of attendance, the graduation rates of admitted students and the faculty of the institution.

Riley has some ideas about what questions should be asked when collecting the employment data. "What is your success upon graduation? Are you getting a job or are you going to graduate school? What are you doing?" Riley said.